False hopes are wrong conclusions drawn by the unconverted with respect to their relationship with Jesus Christ. False hopes take place whenever a sinner thinks he has passed from death to life when he has not. Are false hopes a serious problem? You had better believe it in light of Biblical warnings concerning false hopes. Judas Iscariot entertained a false hope. Simon the magician entertained a false hope. The Corinthian fornicator (1 Cor 5) entertained a false hope. In light of 1 John 2.15-16, the Apostle Paul's remark that Demas had forsaken him because he loved this present world (2 Tim 4.10), one might wonder if he, too, had entertained a false hope.
In addition to the men who entertained false hopes, there are two other indications in the New Testament of the seriousness of this issue. First, consider Jesus' parable of the sower found in Matthew 13.3-8, 18-23, in which the Word of God is represented by seed that is cast onto various types of ground that symbolizes sinners' receptivities. Of the four soils only the final type, where fruit is actually born, is an example of real conversion and evidence of spiritual life. The first three soils represent false hopes. Even a joyful response to the Word can be present in a false hope, verse 20. Next, consider our Lord's instructions for dealing with sin in the church in Matthew 18.15-22. Though the process of reconciliation and restoration described by the Lord is effective as a means of bringing a sinning church member to repentance when sin is confessed and forsaken (with appropriate restitution), that same procedure is simultaneously the means by which someone with a false hope is dismissed from the church so that conviction leading to genuine conversion becomes a prayed for possibility.
In light of the fact that false hopes are set forth in well known examples, false hopes are warned about in what is frequently acknowledged to be the most important of the parables Jesus taught, and false hopes are one of the issues addressed by Christ's three-step formula for dealing with sins committed by a church member, no one who is sensible can easily dismiss false hopes as a genuine problem to be seriously addressed. That being the case, why is the matter of false hopes dealt with so infrequently by contemporary Christian leaders? After all, most church goers know someone who came to Christ after having a false hope. What about those who thought they were saved but who did not later come to Christ? Is that not a legitimate concern?
In my own experience as a pastor who himself entertained a false hope as a youngster, I have seen three types of outcomes from false hopes: First, the false hope is thankfully recognized for what it is, an experience of some kind that did not result in conversion and a new life in Christ. Second, the false hope is sadly not recognized for what it is, with the lost professor wrongly concluding that his experience shows Christianity to be fraudulent. This wrong conclusion can produce cynics and apostates. Third, the false hope is once more not recognized for what it is, and the lost professor concludes that while Christianity is real he wrongly concludes that he will never know the joy of sins forgiven and communion with Christ. This reaction often produces despondency and profound discouragement.
Each of these three conclusions arrived at by those entertaining false hopes are based upon the still unconverted person's own conclusions about God's nature. If God's goodness, justice and graciousness is not questioned the individual with a false hope will blame himself for not truly coming to Christ (and rightly so) and may, in fact, be truly saved in time. However, many with false hopes fall into the error of thinking that Christianity is at fault or that God is somehow to blame in His dealings with His creatures. Such thinking inevitably places blame for the false hope on God rather than self. Of course, such thinking can be deadly because it denies God's holiness and love toward sinful men.
Great harm can be avoided in a gospel minister's dealings with the lost by bringing three truths to the attention of those he ministers to: First, everyone should be reminded that false hopes are held by professors and that many so-called Christians who experience consistent spiritual failure are actually false professors who entertain false hopes. Second, folks need to be reminded that man really is depraved and Jesus really is despised and rejected by men, resulting in sinners denying Jesus even while convincing themselves that they are embracing Him. This is a danger that needs to be watched for whenever ministers deal with hopeful converts. Third, serious conversations between ministers and those professing an interest in Christ are vital because they enable important questions to be asked and answered that sometimes expose false hopes and lead to a genuine conversions.
False hopes are sometimes held by the most sincere among us. As a result, false hopes frequently lead to unsaved people becoming church members who can compromise a congregation's Christian testimony from within. False hopes also confuse onlookers and our own children into thinking those they see sinning are Christians. This can result in the Christian faith being viewed with suspicion and disapproval by those without discernment. Thus, ministers would do well to take the matter of false hopes seriously and lead their congregations to implement 1 Peter 3.15, which calls on all who profess Christ to always be ready to give an answer to anyone who asks you a reason of the hope that is within you with meekness and fear. My own experience is that I am thrilled when I am asked if I am a Christian or what is the basis for my conviction that my sins are forgiven.
False hopes are an almost forgotten issue in our day. We are all the worse off for forgetting to teach about false hopes and deal with false hopes.
